On November 25th, the Upper School will have our annual Day of Inclusivity, Community, and Equity (DICE). This year’s theme is the city of Philadelphia, connecting students learning about social justice to the city environment where Friends Select is located. “The point of the day is to acknowledge social justice issues and bring those topics to the forefront of our minds and recognize what’s going on,” said Kauveri Shah ‘27, one of the school’s Diversity Clerks.
DICE is part of Friends Select’s larger diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program, which works to have social justice at the center of student life and the curriculum. “DICE Day is another way to basically bolster and support the stuff people are already doing in classes,” said Ian Lockey, the Upper School DEI coordinator. “It is a day where we do a series of different activities to have people think about social justice within the city of Philadelphia, and their identity, and our community.”
This year, students will take part in two 45 minute workshops, led by students and teachers. Workshop topics include Sexism in Sports, Gerrymandering and Voter Suppression, Activism through Performance, and Unconscious Bias. They will also participate in a middle-ground activity, which will be a grade-specific discussion designed to help students find common ground with their peers. “The point of the middle ground activity is for students to find community and common ground with their peers,” said Kauveri. DICE will also include a keynote speaker, programmed advisory, and Meeting for Worship, which are all connected to the theme of the city.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Solomon Jones, the founder of ManUpPHL, an anti-gun violence organization. ManUpPHL’s goal is “to step into the lives of the men who are statistically most likely to be victims or perpetrators of gun violence in our city, and to provide them with the mentoring, accountability, resources, and consistency they require to change their lives and make our communities safe.”
Ian explained that DICE is one part of a bigger effort to integrate DEI work into the Upper School curriculum. “The sort of goal of the DEI program at Friends Select in the Upper School is to have a day of deep diving, [along with] the week of Social Justice Week, which is really sort of the crown jewel of our DEI work,” he said. “We’re sort of holding ourselves accountable and keeping a thread of social justice through the year.” He emphasized that DICE is a way for students to reflect on social justice, engage with their peers, and see the real-world applications of what they learn in the classroom.
This year, the schedule has been changed to help students stay engaged. Instead of having the keynote in the morning, it will take place in the middle of the day. Workshops and other activities have been put between active and passive activities so that students will be more focused.
Through different workshops, discussions, and shared experiences, DICE encourages students to explore the intersections of identity and community, offering a day that is both reflective and action-oriented. Kauveri hopes that the day will allow students to discover connections between social justice and their own interests while also having a sense of fulfillment and engagement.
